Statute Details
- Title: Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) (Exemption for Vehicles More Than 3 Years Old) (No. 2) Order 2022
- Act Code: RTA1961-S358-2022
- Legislative Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Road Traffic Act 1961 (specifically, powers under section 142)
- Legislation Number: SL 358/2022
- Date Made: 29 April 2022
- Date of Commencement: 6 May 2022
- Status: Current version (as at 27 Mar 2026)
- Key Provisions:
- Section 1: Citation and commencement
- Section 2: Exemption from Rule 5(1) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules
- Related Rules: Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules (R 5), in particular Rule 5(1)
- Related Legislation: Road Traffic Act 1961; Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules
What Is This Legislation About?
The Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) (Exemption for Vehicles More Than 3 Years Old) (No. 2) Order 2022 (“the Order”) is a narrow, vehicle-specific exemption made under the Road Traffic Act 1961. In practical terms, it relieves a particular registered vehicle from the application of a specific rule in the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules.
Although the Order’s title refers broadly to “vehicles more than 3 years old”, the operative effect in this particular Order is not a general class exemption. Instead, it identifies a single vehicle by its engine number and chassis number, and it states that the identified vehicle—registered in the name of a named individual—benefits from an exemption from Rule 5(1) of the relevant Rules.
For practitioners, the key point is that this is not a regulatory framework document that creates new licensing regimes or general compliance duties. Rather, it is an administrative/legal instrument that uses the Minister’s statutory power to carve out an exception for a specific vehicle where the normal rule would otherwise apply.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the formal identification and timing of the Order. It states that the Order may be cited as the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) (Exemption for Vehicles More Than 3 Years Old) (No. 2) Order 2022 and that it comes into operation on 6 May 2022. This matters for compliance and evidential purposes: any reliance on the exemption would typically be assessed from the commencement date.
Section 2 (Exemption) is the operative provision. It states that Rule 5(1) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules does not apply to a particular vehicle bearing:
- Engine number: 2UR2081740
- Chassis number: UWG600001381
Section 2 further specifies that the vehicle is registered in the name of Peter Kwee Seng Chio. The exemption is therefore both vehicle-specific (by identifying numbers) and person-linked (by the registered owner’s name).
From a legal interpretation standpoint, this structure is significant. The exemption is not drafted as a general permission for any vehicle meeting an age criterion. Instead, it is a targeted exclusion from the application of Rule 5(1) for a defined vehicle. This means that the exemption would not automatically extend to:
- other vehicles with different engine or chassis numbers, even if they are similar or also “more than 3 years old”; or
- the same vehicle if the registration were changed to a different person (depending on how Rule 5(1) operates and how the exemption is construed in practice).
Because the text provided does not reproduce the content of Rule 5(1), a practitioner should treat the Order as a “door-opener” that removes the effect of that rule for the specified vehicle. In practice, Rule 5(1) likely imposes a requirement or restriction relevant to registration and licensing for vehicles beyond a certain age threshold. The Order’s function is to suspend that requirement/restriction for the identified vehicle.
Finally, the enacting formula confirms the statutory basis: the Minister for Transport makes the Order in exercise of powers conferred by section 142 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. This is important for validity and for any challenge: it indicates the legal authority for issuing exemptions by subsidiary legislation.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is extremely concise and consists of an enacting formula followed by two substantive provisions:
- Section 1: Citation and commencement
- Section 2: Exemption
There are no schedules, no definitions section, and no additional parts. The entire legal effect is contained in the single exemption clause in section 2. For practitioners, this means the interpretive work is straightforward: the operative question is whether the vehicle in question matches the specified engine and chassis numbers and whether it is registered in the name stated.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
On its face, the Order applies to one identified vehicle—specified by engine and chassis numbers—and to the extent that the vehicle is registered in the name of Peter Kwee Seng Chio. Therefore, the “audience” of the Order is not the general public or all vehicle owners; it is the person whose vehicle is the subject of the exemption and the relevant administrative authorities responsible for applying Rule 5(1).
In practical terms, the Order would be relevant to:
- The registered owner (or their legal representatives), who may need to demonstrate that the vehicle is exempt from a particular rule; and
- Transport authorities and any licensing/registration officers applying the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules, who must treat the specified vehicle as outside the scope of Rule 5(1).
Because the exemption is tied to registration in a named person’s name, practitioners should consider whether a change in registration could affect the continuing applicability of the exemption. While the Order does not expressly address transfer or re-registration, the specificity of the drafting suggests that the exemption is intended to be narrow and may not automatically follow the vehicle if the registration details change.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the Order is short, it is legally important because it demonstrates how Singapore’s road traffic regulatory system can accommodate exceptional cases through targeted exemptions. For lawyers, the significance lies in understanding that compliance with vehicle registration and licensing rules may sometimes be modified by subsidiary legislation, and that such modifications can be vehicle-specific rather than category-wide.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the Order reduces the risk of administrative non-compliance for the specified vehicle. If Rule 5(1) would otherwise prevent registration, licensing, or some aspect of continued compliance for vehicles beyond a certain age, the exemption ensures that the identified vehicle can proceed without being blocked by that rule.
From a practitioner’s standpoint, the Order also provides a model for how to document and argue exemptions. The exemption is drafted with high precision—using engine and chassis numbers—so that there is minimal ambiguity about which vehicle is covered. When advising clients, lawyers should therefore focus on evidencing the vehicle’s identity (e.g., matching engine/chassis records) and the registration status at the relevant time.
Finally, the Order’s reliance on section 142 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 is a reminder that exemptions are not merely administrative decisions; they can be formal legislative instruments. This can matter in disputes, audits, or when a client needs to show that an exemption was lawfully granted and properly in force from the commencement date.
Related Legislation
- Road Traffic Act 1961 (authorising power: section 142)
- Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules (R 5), particularly Rule 5(1)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) (Exemption for Vehicles More Than 3 Years Old) (No. 2) Order 2022 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.